We may have got by in the past with exercise regimes that amounted to running around a hard track as fast as we could in whatever shoes seemed to suit the track. But we also have a record number of people needing replacement joints in their bodies and not being fit to walk for the last few decades of their lives. There are no advantages to throwing yourself into an exercise regime without first thinking about what you will need in order to get it right. If this means spending a bit of money up front, think of how much it would cost to take early retirement and get a new hip. Then divide it by how much you are spending now. That number may scare you, so accept that good equipment is worth what you pay for it.
If you are going to be running, make sure that you have properly cushioned soles. These are the shock absorbers of the sneaker world. Just think about how hard and unmoving that surface is when you are running. It is your body that takes that impact, and the shoes are your buffer. Without proper cushioning the impact will run all the way up into your hip and jar it to a point where the wear and tear can become chronic. It really is not worth putting yourself in that position, whatever the short term benefits. The new sneakers may cost a few dollars more, but they will be worth what you pay.
The clothes that you wear are important too. Time was when we would just wear an old T-shirt and a pair of shorts. But the fact is that when you exert yourself, you will sweat. When you sweat into a t-shirt, it becomes heavy and soaked, and hugely uncomfortable. As stupid as this sounds, it will affect how you run, and your exercise regime will lose efficiency as a result. Again, it is worth the up front cost of buying a running vest in a fabric which draws sweat away from the body and allows it to evaporate on the surface – keeping your body temperature regulated and your performance constant.
